Thlaspi arvense L.

Thlaspi species are annual, biennial or perennial herbs, glabrous or glaucous, rarely pubescent with simple trichomes, not scapose, with foetid smell when crushed. Stem erect or prostrate, ascending, simple or branched distally. Basal leaves rosulate or not, obovate-lanceolate to oblong, margin entire to dentate, apex acuminate, petiole short to subsessile, cauline leaves gradually smaller, base amplexicaul, auriculate or saggitate, margins entire rarely dentate, petiole sessile. Inflorescence racemes, many or several flowered, elongated in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, rarely purple or yellow, pedicel erect or rarely reflexed, divaricate, slender, ascending, sepals 4, erect or spreading, linear ovate-oblong, margin membranous, inner lateral pair base not saccate, petals 4, obovate-oblanceolate to spathulate, margins entire, apex obtuse or emarginate, claw distinct or not. Stamens 6, slightly tetradynamous, filaments dilated or not near the base, anthers ovate-oblong, apex obtuse rarely apiculate, nectar glands 2-4, lateral usually subtending the bases of stamens, median glands absent. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, ovules 6-24. Fruit silicula, dehiscent, linear oblong to elliptic, orbicular to obcordate, compressed laterally, apically notched, sessile, angustiseptate, smooth or torulose, valves glabrous, winged throughout or apically, replum rounded, septum complete, membranous, style obsolete or not, sometimes included in the apical notch, stigma capitate, entire or bilobed. Seeds uniseriate, brown, plump, oblong-ovoid or ellipsoid, not winged, smooth or coarsely reticulate, mucilaginous or not when soaked, cotyledons accumbent.

Thlaspi species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: April—August.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Annual herbs, glabrous or glaucous, about 15-50 cm tall, not scapose, with fetid smell when crushed. Stem erect, ascending, simple or corymbosely branched. Basal radical leaves not in rosulate, obovate-oblanceolate to spathulate, about 2-8 x 1-2 cm across, base cuneate to attenuate, margin entire to irregularly coarsely dentate, apex obtuse, petiole about 0.5-2.5 cm long, cauline leaves gradually smaller, lanceolate-oblong, about 1.5-5 x 0.5-1.5 cm across, base amplexicaul or auriculate, margins entire to serrate dentate, apex subacute to acute, petiole sessile. Inflorescence racemes, 20-50 flowered, elongated in fruit, up to 25 cm long in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, pedicel erect or slightly reflexed, divaricate, slender, ascending, about 8-15 mm long in fruit, sepals 4, erect or spreading, ovate-oblong, margins white, inner lateral pair base not saccate, about 3-5 x 1.2-1.8 mm across, petals 4, obovate-oblanceolate to spathulate, margins entire, veined, apex obtuse to emarginated, about 12-18 x 10-15 mm across, claw about 1 mm long. Stamens 6, slightly tetradynamous, filaments dilated or not near the base, about 1.5-2 mm long, anthers ovate-oblong, about 0.4 mm long, nectar glands 2-4, lateral usually subtending the bases of stamens, median glands absent. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, ovules 6-16. Fruit silicula, dehiscent, obovate or orbicular, about 8-20 x 7-18 mm across, compressed laterally, broadly winged throughout, about 1-1.5 mm near the base, about 3-4 mm long near the apex, sessile, angustiseptate, base obtuse, apex emarginate, apically notched, valves glabrous, replum rounded, septum complete, membranous, style obsolete or 0.1-0.4 mm long, stigma capitate. Seeds 5-7 in each locule, reddish brown, plump, oblong-ovoid, about 1.75-2.25 x 1.25-1.5 mm across, not winged, coarsely reticulate, making groove like margins, not mucilaginous when soaked, cotyledons accumbent.

Thlaspi species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, mildews and moulds.

Notes: Western Ghats, Native of Europe

Near streams, rocky and grassy slopes, altitude 2200-4000 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Leaves are eaten as vegetable, used in folk medicine.